1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to wood doors and more particularly to wood doors that are fire-rated.
2. Description of the Related Art
The interior and exterior doors used in a building can play an important role in the building's appearance. For example, wood doors are often preferred over metal doors because of the warmth and beauty of the wide variety of different woods that can be used and the different types and ornamental rails and panels that can be used.
The building codes promulgated in most municipalities require that all exterior doors and most interior doors used in commercial buildings be fire-rated and meet ASTM standards (ASTM E-152 for neutral pressure testing and ASTM E-2074 for positive pressure testing). Wood fire-rated doors can be very expensive, and due to their costs and certification requirements, are used primarily in commercial buildings with a large quantity of room or entry doors, such as hotels, schools, office buildings or hospitals.
Entry doors to the rooms in a hotel play a prominent role in a hallway's overall appearance. While such doors may be covered with paint, wallpaper, or decorative materials, such materials change the door's fire rating. If the building owner wants to change the visual impact of a door or on the overall appearance of a room or hallway, his or her only recourse is to replace the door with a different style door.
What is needed is a decorative wood fire-rated door that can be manufactured in a wide variety of different colors, graphics or images imprinted on its surfaces.